Gift giving is a year round problem. When we are invited to an event we wonder what we should bring. Usually the bigger the event, the bigger the gift. A dinner party requires a different gift from a wedding. Problems arise when we try to out give the other invited guests, try to bribe our way with a gift, into an event that we were not invited, or present a sense of resentment to the host in having to give something in return for the invite.
The essence of the gospel is not in what people should do for God but in what He has done for people. The New Testament, like the Old, contains many commands and requirements, many standards to be met and obligations to be fulfilled. But important as those things are, they are not the heart of Christianity. They are simply what God calls and enables us to do for His glory in response to what He has done for us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Every New Testament book teaches what Christ has done for believers, and every New Testament exhortation is built on that foundation of God’s gracious provision through the Savior. God gave the supreme gift of grace and His children are to respond in faithful obedience (see Eph. 2:10).
With such awesome gifts received from God it is easy for us to slip into religion, and try to pay God back. We mistakenly think that if we are just active enough, God will like us more and we'll earn a special place in His heart. Salvation an unmerited gift from God (Eph. 2:8-9). When we understand this we can live a life of grateful service and not guilt driven religion. Each member of the body receives from the Sovereign Lord his own integral value, place, responsibility, opportunity, and duty. No one should be idle for each one has a place to fill, which no one else can fill (Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 2416). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.).
Paul begins this passage by referring to what God has done for those who have trusted in His Son. The worthy Christian walk he has just described (Eph. 4:1–6) is carried out through the ministry of the gift He has given us. In verses 7–11 the apostle first assures us that 1) Every believer has been individually gifted (Ephesians 4:7); then he shows us how 2) Christ obtained the right to give gifts (Ephesians 4:8-10); and finally he mentions some of the specially gifted people through whom 3) the Lord blesses the whole church (Ephesians 4:11).
1) The Gifts of Christ to Individual Believers (Ephesians 4:7)
Ephesians 4:7 [7]But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. (ESV)
The term but, with which this verse begins could be translated “in spite of that” or “on the other hand,” contrasting the previous subject matter in verses 3–6 of the unity of believers, with what is about to be said, of their individual diversity or distinctiveness. It sets the individual (each one) over against the “all” (v.6) in regard to unity in the Body of Christ. Unity is not uniformity and is perfectly consistent with diversity of gifts. God’s gracious relation to “all” is also a personal relation to each one (cf.1 Cor. 12:7, 11) and a personal ministry through each one. Thus Paul moves from the unity of believers to the uniqueness of believers. These differences are often an irritation to us. It seems as though the world and the church would be so much better if everyone were more alike. What’s wrong with wanting most persons to be the same … just like us? The apostle deals with this question before he ever begins to describe the differing gifts (Chapell, B. (2009). Ephesians. (R. D. Phillips, P. G. Ryken, & D. M. Doriani, Eds.) (p. 187). Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.).
The answer starts with Grace. Grace is a single–word definition of the gospel. The gospel is the good news of God’s grace to sinful humanity. God is a God of grace because He is a God who freely gives. It has nothing to do with anything we have done or have failed to do; it can only be received. God is gracious because of who He is, not because of who or what we are. His grace is therefore unmerited, unearned, undeserved. It depends entirely on the One who gives it, not on those who receive it. Grace is God’s self–motivated, self–generated, sovereign act of giving.
• Every blessing that you presently enjoy is a gift from God. God has you individually in mind in what He gives you. There are no generic one-size fits all gifts. The one who created you, redeems you and equips you knows you inside and out and gives you exactly what you need for what He calls you to do.
The grace in which we stand (Rom. 5:2) not only saves but enables (cf. Eph. 6:10; Phil. 4:13; 1 Tim. 1:12; 2 Tim. 4:17), and that is the sense of the term here. Paul makes it clear that grace was given to every believer. The definite article (hç) is used in the original text, indicating that this is the grace, that is, the grace unique to Christ. The term for grace is charis and signifies that what is given is not the charismata (the special gifts indicated by this word in Rom. 12:6–8 and 1 Cor. 12:4–10) but the subjective grace that works in and shows itself through the life of a believer. This grace is the enabling power that makes the special gifts function to the glory of God.
This distinction is clear for the rest of Paul’s statement, according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Enabling grace is measured out to be consistent with what is necessary for the operation of Christ’s gift. The measure or specific portion given is by sovereign design from the Head of the church. The Lord has measured out the exact proportion of each believer’s gift (compare Paul’s use of the phrase “the measure of faith” in Rom. 12:3). The exact proportion of enabling grace on the part of God is linked with the exact proportion of enacting faith on the part of each believer; and God is the source of both. The sum of this is that God gives both the grace and the faith to energize whatever gift He gives to the full intent of His purpose. In light of the truth just stated it is clear that since they sovereignly given (cf. 1 Cor. 12:4–7, 11), no gifts should be sought; that since they are essential elements in God’s plan (cf. 1 Cor. 12:18, 22, 25), no gifts should be unused; and that since they come from the Lord, no gifts should be exalted (cf. Rom. 12:3). Each believer is to function in Christ’s body by God’s enablement, proportionate to the gift (spiritual ability) bestowed..., no more and no less (Hoehner, H. W. (1985). Ephesians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 634). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
• We find it a personal insult when we give something to someone who seems to have no regard for it, or tries to regift it to someone else. Imagine how God feels when He gives something to you and you don't use it, or expect someone else to do what He has individually called you to do. Not to use our gift is an affront to God’s wisdom, a rebuff of His love and grace, and a loss to His church. We did not determine our gift, deserve it, or earn it. But we all have a gift from the Lord, and if we do not use it, His work is weakened and His heart is grieved.
Please turn to Romans 12 (p,948)
We each have a gift that is measured out to us—with certain distinct capabilities, parameters, and purposes. Each of us is given a specific gift (singular) through which we are to minister in Christ’s name. “As each one has received a special gift,” Peter says, “employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet. 4:10). A spiritual gift is a God-given ability to serve God and other Christians in such a way that Christ is glorified and believers are edified (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 37). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.).
Romans 12:3-8 [3]For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. [4]For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, [5]so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. [6]Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; [7]if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; [8]the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (ESV)
• The lists of specific gifts in Romans 12:6–8, 1 Corinthians 12:8–10, and Ephesians 4:11 are not narrow and strict delineations of the spiritual gifts. There is not, for instance, a single kind of prophetic gift, teaching gift, or serving gift. A hundred believers with the gift of teaching will not all have the same degrees or areas of teaching ability or emphasis. One may excel in public teaching in the classroom or church. Another’s teaching gift will be for instructing children, another’s for teaching one–on–one, and so on. Each believer is given the measure of grace and faith to operate their gift according to God’s plan. Add individual personality, background, education, influences in life, and needs in the area of service and it becomes obvious that each believer is unique.
Nor is it that a believer’s single gift will be restricted to only one category of giftedness. An individual gift may include a number of specific areas of giftedness, in a limitless variety of combinations. Someone with a major gift of administration may also have something of the gifts of helps and of teaching. Believers’ gifts are like snowflakes and fingerprints—each one is completely distinct from all others. Some teachers may emphasize knowledge, some instruction, some mercy, and others exhortation. Within the unity of the body each member has a distinctive service to render for the effective functioning of the whole (O’Brien, P. T. (1999). The letter to the Ephesians (p. 287). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Illustration:
At weddings, birthdays, Christmas, and other such occasions, we often get gifts for which we have no use. We put them in a drawer, store them in the garage, or later give them to someone else. But God never gives such gifts. Each of His gifts is exactly what we need to fulfill our work for Him. We never get the wrong gift, or too much or too little of it. When the Holy Spirit gave us our gift, He presented us with precisely the right blend of abilities and enablement we need to serve God. Not only does our unique giftedness make us an irreplaceable member of Christ’s Body but it is a mark of God’s great love to single each of us out for unique blessing and ministry.
2) How Christ Won the Right to Give Gifts (Ephesians 4:8–10)
Ephesians 4:8-10 [8]Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." [9](In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? [10]He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) (ESV)
Paul is set to delineate some of the gifts Christ has given, but before mentioning specific gifts bestowed on the whole church, he uses Psalm 68:18 as a comparison passage to show how Christ received the right to bestow those gifts. The obvious differences between both the Hebrew and Greek (Septuagint) Old Testament texts of Psalm 68:18 and Paul’s citation of it suggest that he is probably making only a general allusion to the passage for the sake of analogy, rather than specifically identifying it as a direct prediction of Christ. This psalm was used by the Jews as they celebrated the Feast of Pentecost when they recalled the giving of the law by God to his people (Uprichard, H. (2004). A Study Commentary on Ephesians (p. 209). Darlington, England; Auburn, MA: Evangelical Press.).
Psalm 68 is a victory hymn composed by David to celebrate God’s conquest of the Jebusite city and the triumphant ascent of God (represented by the Ark of the Covenant) up Mount Zion (cf. 2 Sam. 6–7; 1 Chron. 13). After a king won such a victory he would bring home the spoils and enemy prisoners to parade before his people. An Israelite king would take his retinue through the holy city of Jerusalem and up Mount Zion. Another feature of the victory parade, however, would be the display of the king’s own soldiers who had been freed after being held prisoner by the enemy. These were often referred to as recaptured captives—prisoners who had been taken prisoner again, so to speak, by their own king and given freedom.
The phrase when He ascended on high depicts a triumphant Christ returning from battle on earth back into the glory of the heavenly city with the trophies of His great victory. When he ascended into the heavenly Zion, the new Jerusalem, he had conquered the forces of Satan. The principalities and powers were disarmed and defeated by Jesus, who led a host of captives, who once were prisoners of the enemy but now are returned to the God and the people with whom they belong. (Col 2:15) (Boles, K. L. (1993). Galatians & Ephesians (Eph 4:8). Joplin, MO: College Press.).
Upon arriving in heaven, He gave gifts to men. Paul here uses yet another term for gifts (domata) to express the comprehensiveness of this gracious provision. Like a triumphant conqueror distributing the spoils to his subjects, so Christ takes the trophies He has won and distributes them in His kingdom. After His ascension came all the gifts empowered by the Holy Spirit (John 7:39; 14:12; Acts 2:33). When the Savior was exalted on high, He sent the Spirit (Acts 1:8), and with the coming of the Spirit also came His gifts to the church. Before Paul identifies the gifts he has in mind, he first gives a brief parenthetical explanation of the analogy he has just used.
In explaining the application of the Old Testament passage, Paul says in verse 9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but/except that He also descended into the lower regions/parts, the earth? The He of whom Paul is speaking is the One who will fill all things—Jesus Christ, “who fills all in all” (1:23). Ascended refers to Jesus’ ascension from earth to heaven (Acts 1:9–11). He ascended from earth to heaven to forever reign with His Father. Paul is quick to explain that the expression He ascended cannot mean anything except that He … also descended. If, as seems clear, ascended refers to our Lord’s being taken up to heaven, then descended must refer to His coming down from heaven to earth. The captain of our salvation was first abased and then exalted. Divestiture came before investiture, incarnation before glorification (cf. Phil. 2:4–11). This pattern of service is to be imitated by believers (Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Eph 4:9). Nashville: T. Nelson.).
This truth is repeated in proper chronological sequence in verse 10: He who descended is the one/Himself also He who ascended. The depth of Christ’s descent in incarnation is said to be into the lower parts, the earth (cf. Isa. 44:23, Ps. 63:9, 139:8-15, , Mt. 12:40. This reference is presented to provide a striking contrast in terms of His ascent far above all the heavens, emphasizing the extreme range of our Lord’s condescension and exaltation. What is in Paul’s mind, therefore, is not so much descent and ascent in spatial terms, but rather humiliation and exaltation, the latter bringing Christ universal authority and power, as a result of which he bestowed on the church he rules both, the Spirit himself to indwell it and the gifts of the Spirit to edify it or bring it to maturity (Stott, J. R. W. (1979). God’s new society: the message of Ephesians (p. 159). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.).
Please turn to 1 Peter 3 (p. 1016)
It should be noted further that our Lord’s descent went even beyond the womb, the earth, the grave, and death—to a descent into the very pit of the demons. Peter sheds light on a fuller meaning of He also descended into the lower parts, the earth. In his first letter he says:
1 Peter 3:18-22 [18]For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, [19]in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, [20]because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. [21]Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, [22]who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. (ESV)
• Between Jesus’ death on Calvary and His resurrection in the garden tomb, He was “put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” He was physically dead but spiritually alive. During the three days He was in that state He also descended “and made proclamation [from kçrussô) to the spirits now in prison.” This does not refer to preaching the gospel (from euangelizô) but to making a triumphant announcement—in this case Christ’s announcement of His victory over the demons even while they tried to hold Him in death. When Christ descended to Sheol, He proclaimed His victory, because “He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [and] made a public display of them, having triumphed over them” (Col. 2:15; cf. 1 Pet. 3:19). At that time came the announcement to the demons, both bound and loose (the “angels and authorities and powers”), that they all were subject to Christ (1 Pet. 3:22; Eph. 1:20–21). To ascend to heaven, He also passed through the territory of Satan and his demons in the air (Heb. 4:14 uses dia, through) and no doubt celebrated His triumph over them (cf. Deut. 32:22; Job 26:6; Ps. 16:10; etc.).
Paul’s point in Ephesians 4:8–10 is to explain that Jesus’ paying the infinite price of coming to earth and suffering death on our behalf qualified Him to be exalted above all the heavens (that is, to the throne of God), in order that He might rightfully have the authority to give gifts to His saints. By that victory He gained the right to rule His church and to give gifts to His church, that He might fill all things. The context would dictate that His filling all things primarily has to do with His glorious divine presence and power expressed in universal sovereignty. He fills the entire universe with blessing, particularly His church, as the next verse illustrates. For believers in every age it is certainly a comfort to know that he who ascended higher than all the heavens, an expression that must not be taken in a merely literal sense but in the sense of majesty and exaltation to the Father’s right hand so that he reigns over the entire universe and over every creature (1:20–23), is still the same Jesus, filled with the same tender love and sympathetic concern which he showed when on Calvary’s cross he descended to regions lower than the earth, that is, to the experience of the nethermost depths, the very agonies of hell (Matt. 27:46). Add to this the equally comforting truth that when he returns on clouds of glory he will still be “this same Jesus” (Acts 1:11), the one loving and ruling head of the one church. What an incentive to the spirit of unity among all the members of the church! (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of Ephesians (Vol. 7, pp. 193–194). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.)
Poem: He is, as Frances Ridley Havergal said: “This same Jesus!” Oh, how sweetly Fall those words upon the ear, Like a swell of far-off music In a night-watch still and drear! He, the lonely Man of Sorrows, ’Neath our sin-curse bending low, By his faithless friends forsaken In the darkest hours of woe,— “This same Jesus!” When the vision Of that last and awful day Bursts upon the prostrate spirit, Like a midnight lightning ray; Then, we lift our hearts adoring—“This same Jesus,” loved and known; Him, our own most gracious Savior, Seated on the great white throne. (Frances Ridley Havergal as cited in Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of Ephesians (Vol. 7, pp. 193–194). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.)
3) The Gifts of Christ to the Whole Church (Ephesians 4:11)
Ephesians 4:11 [11]And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, (ESV)
After his parenthetical analogy (vv. 9–10) from Psalm 68:18, Paul continues his explanation of spiritual gifts. Christ not only gives gifts to individual believers but to the total Body. To each believer He gives special gifts of divine enablement, and to the church overall He gives specially gifted people as apostles … prophets … evangelists, and … shepherd/pastors and teachers. Those that are named’ here exercise their ministries in such a way as to help other members of the church to exercise their own respective ministries (F.F. Bruce as quoted in Foulkes, F. (1989). Ephesians: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 10, p. 124). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
He gave emphasizes the sovereign choice and authority given to Christ because of His perfect fulfillment of the Father’s will. Not only apostles and prophets but also evangelists … shepherds/pastors and teachers are divinely called and placed. In 1 Corinthians 12:28, Paul says, “God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers.” That statement adds weight not only to the idea of divine calling but also to the chronological significance (“first, … second, … third”) in the giving of these gifted men to the church.
The first two classes of gifted men, apostles and prophets, were given three basic responsibilities:(1) to lay the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20); (2) to receive and declare the revelation of God’s Word (Acts 11:28; 21:10–11; Eph. 3:5); and (3) to give confirmation of that Word through “signs and wonders and miracles” (2 Cor. 12:12; cf. Acts 8:6–7; Heb. 2:3–4). The qualifications for that apostleship were having been chosen directly by Christ and having witnessed the resurrected Christ (Mark 3:13; Acts 1:22–24). Paul was the last to meet those qualifications (Rom. 1:1; etc.). It is not possible therefore, as some claim, for there to be apostles in the church today. New Testament usage suggests that a “prophet” (cf. Acts 21:10–11) was not necessarily a person who foretold the future but one who brought God’s message to others, be that a message about the past, present, or future (Panning, A. J. (1997). Galatians, Ephesians (p. 182). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.)
Both apostles and prophets have passed from the scene (Eph. 2:20), but the foundation they laid is that on which all of Christ’s church has been built. There is no mention of the latter two gifted offices replacing the first two, because in New Testament times all were operative. But the fact is that, as they continued to serve the church, the evangelists and shepherds/pastors and teachers did pick up the baton from the first generation apostles and prophets. Now that that foundation has been laid, the evangelists and the shepherds/pastors and teachers are being used by God to build the superstructure (Anders, M. (1999). Galatians-Colossians (Vol. 8, p. 152). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
Evangelists and shepherds/pastors and teachers are now in place in God’s plan for the advancement of the kingdom. Evangelists (euangelistçs) are people who proclaim good news (cf. Acts 21:8; 2 Ti. 4:5). Jesus Himself evangelized in “preaching the gospel” (Luke 20:1), as did the apostles in “preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). It is conceivable that evangelists are not included among the ministries set by God “in the church” in 1 Cor. 12:28 because, strictly speaking, they do not exercise their special ministry in the church but outside, in the world. The church is the community of those who have heard the preaching of the gospel and responded to it in faith; they do not need to be evangelized further. The gospel is preached to unbelievers, in order that they may be brought to faith in Christ and so be incorporated in the believing community. If the ministry of the evangelist is not exercised “in the church” it is certainly exercised for the church (Bruce, F. F. (1984). The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (p. 347). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Shepherds/Pastors (poimçn), emphasizes the care, protection and leadership of the man of God for the flock. Teachers (didaskaloi) has to do with the primary function of pastors. Though teaching can be identified as a ministry on its own (1 Cor. 12:28), shepherds/pastors and teachers are best understood as one office of leadership in the church. Often the word and (kai) means “that is” or “in particular,” making teachers in this context explanatory of shepherds/pastors. The text of 1 Timothy 5:17 clearly puts the two functions together when it says: “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” . All pastors teach (since teaching is an essential part of pastoral ministry), but not all teachers are also pastors. The latter exercise their leadership role by feeding God’s flock with his word (O’Brien, P. T. (1999). The letter to the Ephesians (p. 300). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
The term for shepherds/pastors (Poimçn) emphasizes the pastoral role of caring and feeding, although the concept of leadership is also inherent in the picture of a shepherd. The focus of the term poimçn is on the leader’s attitude. To be qualified as a pastor, a man must have a shepherd’s caring heart.
Please turn to Titus 1 (p. 998)
What is the role of a pastor–teacher? As the apostolic era came to a close, the office of pastor–teacher emerged as the highest level of local church leadership. Thus it carried a great amount of responsibility. Elders were charged with the care and feeding, as well as the spiritual guidance, of the entire church. There was no higher court of appeal, and no greater resource for knowing the mind and heart of God with regard to issues in the church.
Titus 1:5-9 [5]This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you-- [6]if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. [7]For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, [8]but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. [9]He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. (ESV)
• The threat of false teachers in the church was already so great that a key qualification for leadership was the ability to understand and teach sound doctrine. “Exhort” in that verse is the Greek parakaleô, which literally means “to call near.” From its uses in the New Testament, we see that the ministry of exhortation has several elements. It involves persuasion (Acts 2:14; 14:22; Titus 1:9), pleading (2 Cor. 8:17), comforting (1 Thess. 2:11), encouraging (1 Thess. 4:1), and patient reiterating of important doctrine (2 Tim. 4:2).
All of the gifts that Christ gives to individuals and to the church as a whole are gifts which He Himself perfectly exemplified. If ever there was a preacher it was Christ, if ever there was a teacher, ruler, administrator, servant, helper, or giver it was Christ. He is the perfect illustration and example of every gift, because His gifts to us are gracious gifts of Himself.
(Format note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1986). Ephesians (pp. 133–151). Chicago: Moody Press.)
